Water-heater.



PATENTED DEG. 12, 1905.

R. J. HUTGHINS. WATER HEATER. APPLIUTION FILED DB0. 2a. 1904.

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PATENTED DBG. 12, 1905.

R. J. HUTGEINS. WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED DECLRS, 1904.

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ttomegs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

WATER-HEATER.

specineation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 12, 1905.

Application led December 2S, 1904. Serial No. 238,137.

To all whom, it may concern.'

' Be it known that l, RUFUs J. HUTcHrNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Water-Heater, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to water-heaters, and has for its principal object to provide a device whereby water or other liquid may be heated instantaneously.

A further object of the invention is to provide a water-heater in which the water to be heated is spread in the forni of a film that is exposed to the direct action of a current of heated air, products of combustion, or other heating agent.

A still further obj ect of the invention is to provide an instantaneou swater-heater in which the water is supported in a thin film on a metallic surface and is subjected to the direct action of heat, the film of water being disposed between the supporting-surface and the heating agent.

lith these and other objects in view, which 'will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure maybe made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. f

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a water-heater constructed in accordance with the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional plan views on the lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the heating means more specifically described hereinafter. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

ln carrying out the present invention an inclosing casing 10, preferably cylindrical in form, is mounted on a base 11, said base being preferably supported at a slight elevation by means of legs or standards 12, so that the device may be placed over any suitable source of heat-as, for instance, a burneror a suitable annular gas-pipe having a plurality of jets may be employed and made a part of the heater, as desired.

The bottom of the heater is formed by a conical or inclined plate 14, having a central opening kfor the passage of the heat, and when seated in the base any water of condensation will be directed by the under side of this conical bottom into a drip-trough 15, forming a part of the base.

Arranged within the casing is a ring 17, that extends in a slanting line from the inner wall of the casing to the conical bottom 14, and said ring is provided at its inner edge with a number of recesses 18, through which the Water may pass and come in contact with the conical bottom, or the whole of the inner edge of the ring may be arranged at a slight distance from the conical bottom to permit the free dischargle of water at allvpoints. At a point above t e ring 17 is placed a fluted cone 1 9 preferably formed of thin sheet metal. The flutes of this cone are arranged on radial lines from the axial center of the casing, and each depression constitutes a separate fluidpassage for directing a lm of water in contact with the inner wall of the casing. At the outer ends of the ribs between the fluted depressions small recesses or openings 20 are formed for the passage of the roducts of combustion, heated air, or any ot er heating agent. The cone-shaped plate 19 is removably supported within the casing, and through its center extends a water-pipe 22, which fits telescopically over the main supply-pipe 23, arranged in the vertical center of the casing and exposed to the direct action of the heat. The upper pipe-surface further has a support for two disks 24 and 25, each formed of foraminous sheet-metal and each provided with openings 26 for the passage of the products of combustion, all of said openings being preferably provided with upstanding iianges 27 to prevent the passage of water therethrough and the openings of the respective disks being disposed in staggered relation in order to form a tortuous passage for the heating agent. The two disks 24 and 25 are arranged, respectively, on oppositely-inclined lines--that is to say, the upper disk tapers upward from its periphery toward the center and the lower disk tapers downward from the periphery toward the center, the degree of inclination and the diameter of the minute openings formedl in the forancinous disks being such IIO that any water fed to the upper disk will pass through the openings and thence trickle along the under side of said disk to the circumference thereof, after which it will pass to the lower disk and through the openings thereof, thence traveling along the under side of the lower disk from the circumference to the center.

At the top of the upper water-pipe 22 is secured a cap or rose 30, preferably in the form of a dome-shaped upper cap 31, the periphery of which is fluted, and a foraminous disk 32, through which the water after leaving the supply-pipe will be sprayed to the upper isk 24.

All of the parts carried by the upper supply-pipe are removable together for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the heater.

The top of the heater is partly closed by a cover 34, having a central opening of a diameter greater than that of the cap or rose to permit the escape of the heating agent, and said cap or cover may be readily removed when it is desired to gain access to the interior of the casing.

In the operation of the device water or other fluidvis forced under pressure through the supply-pipe and enters the cap or rose, from whence it is sprayed on top of the upper disk 24. The water passes through the minute perforations of this disk, which in practice are about four one-hundredths of an inch in diameter, and adheres to the under side thereof in the form of a thin film, gradually trickling toward the circumference of the disk and thence passing to the lower disk 25. The fluid passes through the minute perforations of the disk 25, and clinging to the under side thereof trickles toward the center of said disk and from thence passes into contact with the fluted'cone 19 and is directedby the cone into contact with the inner wall of the casing. The fluid thence travels in a thin film down the wall of the casin into contact with the inclined rin@ 17 and inally passes from the inner edge of the latter into contact with the conical bottom 14, the latter forming, in connection with the side wall of the casing, a reservoir from which the heated water may be withdrawn through a discharge-pipe 36.

It will be observed that the heating agent, whether in the form of hot air, steam, or products of combustion, is forced to travel in a tortuous path through the heater and that during its passage, especially around the two disks 24 and 25, it comes into direct contact with the thin film of water clinging to the under side of said disks, so that the water is subjected to the direct action of the heat and its temperature will thus be raised more rapidly than where a metallic plate is interposed between the two, as in the ordinary construction of fluid-heating devices.

It is obvious that the number of disks may sor/,030

be increased or diminished in accordance with the capacity of the heater and the temperature to which it is desired to raise the Huifd without departing from the invention.

Having thus described the-invention, what is claimed is- 1. ln a water-heater, a casing, a plurality of disks arranged therein and provided with minute perforations for the passage of water, said disks being inclined, and their lower surfaces forming supports for a film of water eX- posed to the direct action of a heating agent, and to which the water clings in its downward passage or flow, the disks being further provided with openings for the passage of the heating agent.

2. In a water-heater, a casing, perforated disks disposed therein and provided with minute perforations for the passage of water, said disks inclining, respectively, in opposite directions, and their lower surfaces forming a support to which the water clings in its downward passage or flow in the form of a film after its passage through the perforations, the disks being further provided with flanged openings disposed in staggered relation` to form a tortuous passage for the heating agent.

3. In a water-heater, a casing, a centrallydisposed Water-supply pipe, a disk inclined downward from the pipe toward the wall of the casing, said disk being provided with minute perforations to permit the assage of the water to the under side of the disk where it may cling in its downward passage or flow in the form of a thin film, said disk being further provided with flanged openings for the passage of a heating agent, and a sprayer or rose arranged at the upper portion of the Water-pipe.

4. The combination in a water-heater, of a casing arranged for the passage of a heating agent in an upward direction, an inclined disk having minute perforations to permit the passage of the water to its under surface where the water may cling in its downward passage or flow in the form of a thin film eX- posed to the direct action of the heating agent, the disk being further provided with larger openings for the passage of such heating agent.

5. The combination in a water-heater, of a casing, a centrallydisposed water-supply pipe, a perforated disk secured thereto and provided with openings for the passage of a heating agent, a fluted conical disk arranged to receive the water flowing from the perforated disk, and to direct the same a ainst the inner wall of the casing, said conica disk being provided with openings or recesses for the passage of the heating agent.

6. The combination in a water-heater, of a casing having a vertical side wall and a bottom, inclined upward and inward and forming a continuous circular open space, said IOO bottom forming, in connection with the side Wall of the casing, an annular reservoir for hot Water, and the inner face of the bottom forming a condensing-surface,l a trough at the lower end of the bottom for collecting Water of condensation, and a conical shield arranged Within the casing and extending continuously over the Whole of the open space of the bottom and serving to deflect the downwardly-passing stream of Water from the center toward the side Walls of the casing, substantially as specified.

7. The combination in a Water-heater, of a base, a casing seated thereon and having an inwardly andiorwardly directed bottom portion provided With a central opening Jfor the passage of a heating agent, an inclined ring secured to the casing and adapted to direct Water into contact With said bottom portion, a centrally-disposed Water-supply pipe havT ing a telescopically-itting upper section, a

conical disk secured to said upper section and provided With lutings or corrugations Jfor directing Water into contact With the inner Wall of the casing and having peripheral slots or openings for the passage of Water and a heating agent, a plurality of forarninous disks also secured to said upper section and inclining, respectively, in opposite directions, said foraminous disks being provided With flanged openings for the passage of a heating agent, a spraying device or rose secured to the top of the upper section, and a detachable cover having a central opening for the passa e of the heating agent.

n testimony that l claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

n RUFUS J. HUTCHINS. Witnesses:

C. E. HoYLE, FRANK S. APPLEMAN. 

